The weekly sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1886-1887, 1887-03-17
HORTICULTURE.
The Importance of the Garden DE partlneri'.
to the Farmer.

The Importance of the Garden DE PARTNER.
to the Farmer.
How many of the great mass of our
population understand or appreciate
the importance of horticulture? How
many farmers appreciate its value in
the economy of the familyP Probably
not one in ten of the latter class; and
vet through horticulture we receive all
our fruits, all our vegetables, all that
pertains to the forest, all that goes to
beautify our homes-our lawns, land
scape adornments, beautiful shade trees,
lovely flowers, all these are but depart
ments of the art that Shakespeare says,
..doth mend nature Horticulture
may give half the living of the family,
and, if well understood, at a cost tritiing
to the farmer in comparison with the
benefit derived. The farm garden of
an acre will supply not only all the veg
etables considered so necessary to good
living by citizens. rich and poor, and
daily used by them on their tables as
indispensable to health and comfort.
These know little about the art, except
that the daily supply of vegetables costs
money, and that fruit is luxury which
they enjoy in proportion to the length
of the purse. The farmer may have all
these at comparatively small outlay if
only he goesabout the acquire
| ment in the same common-sense way
in which he cultivates his farm.
| Yet, how many farmers cultivate farm
systematically How few there are may
easily be seen by looking over the gar
den patches of even welEto-do farmers.
A well cultivated garden is oftener
lacking than possessed. Yet within the
kitchen-g garden may be found more
prime necessities of everyday life than
on all the rest of the farm. 1t will give
variety TO the daily fare, and sustenance
at less cost than can be procured in any
othor way. The mistake made is in
puttering at gardening instead of cult
waiting garden.
Three-duarters of all the work of the
garden may be done by horse power il
the work is commenced right. Let the
strip be long rather than square. Lane
is cheap; use it literally. Asparagu:
and rhubard are better four feet be
tween rows than at any other distance
Beets, carrots, parsnips, cabbage, cauli
flower, potatoes and bush beans ma,
all have three feet between the rows
Pole beans require four feet, tomatoe
and summer squash five, muskmelon
six, watermelons ten and winter squas!
twelve feet. If you do not want full
row of some of these, it is easy to com
bine varieties and thus piece out row
so the horse cultivation may be con
slant. If the garden is kept as free Q
weeds as is a good corptield, the weed
, ing by hand is light. Ali market gaI
deners understand this, and act upo
; it. Why should not the farmer? Til
, reason is, he does not properly knoN
! the money there is in garden.
Why should not the garden also b
, the small fruit orchard of the farm
Blackberries and raspberries shoul
have five or six feet between the rows
+. Gooseberries and currants are bette
/ four feet apart than closer. Four fec
a is not too wide for strawberries. Grape
may properly have eight feet. If grape
are trained to stakes, as they should b.
and if the other plants are kept pro-
erly pruned, there is no difficulty
horse cultivation here. A row of cherr
trees will not hurt the looks of the ga
, den, and they will make the heart
d the wife glad. The farmer rarely,
! ever, refuses cherry pie, CT cherl
e sauce, or any other fruit, if some /
: else raises it for him. Why not raise
: for himself? Don't know how? The
t you don't know how to farm. You {
l. not putter at raising corn. Why putt
at gardening? Really, it is this idc
that gardening is puttering work tn
L. deters. A farmer does not like h
!. neighbor to find him working in Il
a garden. But if a single acre, high
:, MANFRED and kept clean. will produ'
e more good living than twenty acres
corn will bring, the laugh is on the SIT
of the farmer who gardens also; al
the neighbor who laughs will not
averse to slipping around, just for
e visit, you know" He will bring !
lie wife and children to help you enjoy &
l. fruits and vegetables your sagacity ii
provided in their season. Perhaps
time his wife may succeed in shamil
I'd | hin, into o,,1t;vatino a Garden Cbicn
t. - -
Tribune.